…and
how the tradition of quality and good design endured through two WWs,
wild swings in economies, and 40 years under Communism.

Plauen’s tradition as a center of proficient production of all types
of textiles of high quality, started with hand spinning and weaving in
the 15th century. Hand-made lace and embroidery began in the early 16th
century, mainly for the vestments of clergy and nobility. The popularity
of lace increased rapidly, and soon hand-made lace became a cottage industry
in Plauen, plus most of Europe, and the United States, lasting well into
the 19th century.

The
innovation that led directly to machine-made lace was the introduction
in 1857 of hand-operated embroidery machines. Since lace can be embroidery
without the heavy cloth backing, early in the 1880s entrepreneurs in Plauen
began machine production of lace. In 1900 machine-made lace from Plauen
won the Grand Prix at the World Exposition in Paris. And Plauener Spitze
became synonymous with beautiful lace of highest quality.

Left:
The type of a hand-operated embroidery machine that started machine production
of Plauener Spitze (about 1857-1910)
Middle: Manual pantograph embroidery machine type VOMAG (about 1890-1925),
Right side: Automat that replaced the pantograph on the left part of the
machine by using punched cards (after 1914)

Plauener
Spitze production quickly became the largest source of income in Plauen,
where population reached its maximum of 128,000 in 1912. More millionaires
lived in Plauen than in any other city in Germany. Plauen even had an
American Consulate due to the large exports to the United States.

World
War I and its aftermath quickly changed that. In 1923 Plauen had the highest
unemployment rate in Germany. Then the worldwide depression started in
1929. The economy improved starting in 1933, but by 1945 the WWII bombing
of Plauen destroyed at least 80% of the lace industry, and the city was
under Soviet occupation.

In 1950
lace and embroidery production restarted in Plauen, now in Communist German
Democratic Republic, commonly called East Germany. At first small, family-owned
companies were allowed to operate on their own until 1973, when most lace
production was nationalize.

With
German reunification in 1990 came a return to private ownership. Formerly
family-owned factories were returned to their owners, including the family
of Andreas Reinhardt, now the fourth-generation owner of Modespitze. In
addition new private companies soon entered the industry.

The
machines left by the Communist were old and in very poor condition. And
the new owners had neither their own capital nor the credit to buy new
machines. But the tradition of highest quality Plauener Spitze endured
with the employees that lived through the 40 years of Communism.

Eventually
more credit was extended and by 2000 significant production resumed.

Middle:
These large modern machines very efficiently produce Plauener Spitze.
But the complexity of these machines and the lace making process
requires highly trained employees with much manual dexterity as well as
lot of needlework.

The Plauener
Spitze and Embroidery Association now owns the trademark Plauener Spitze
® that is registered in the US (download
certificate - PDF). Only member companies that adhere to the Association’s
strict standards of high quality, good design, local production, and rigorous
training of employees are allowed to use the Plauener Spitze ®.